


3700 Years Without Greenhouse Gasses

by ajisaiHunter



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Huddling For Warmth, sometimes you just want to write cute things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:41:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23689348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ajisaiHunter/pseuds/ajisaiHunter
Summary: In the year 5739 CE, the sky is clear and currently there is no looming threat of man-made climate change. The Ishigami villagers are used to living alongside nature without modern amenities like space heaters, stoves, and socks. Just slap on some extra layers and some fur trim and call it a day! This method is nowhere near as effective for people born in the 21st century. A kotatsu would be great right about now.
Relationships: Asagiri Gen & Chrome, Asagiri Gen & Ishigami Senkuu, Chrome & Ishigami Senkuu
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62





	3700 Years Without Greenhouse Gasses

**Author's Note:**

> "Huddling for warmth" is a rite of passage for this fandom, isn't it? I picked the second winter instead of the first one.
> 
> (I self-beta'd once, but I'll probably go back and fix any other mistakes soon!)

In the year 5739 CE, the sky is clear and the air is so fresh it almost stings to breathe it in when you’re used to a thin veneer of smog. The Ishigami villagers take these things for granted. For them, nature isn’t just beautiful and a healthy alternative to stuffy city living; nature is a strong and unpredictable opponent. Going directly against it, they almost always lose so they’ve learned to keep their heads down, endure the rainy seasons, the hot summers, and even the freezing cold winter nights without the luxuries of the previous “modern era” like glass windows, indoor heating, and socks. 

Senku has kept his complaints to off-handed rhetorical remarks in his push to bring back as much technology to the Stone World as possible. Whining about the work conditions doesn’t get the work done faster. Gen complained a lot at Tsukasa’s camp to build up false camaraderie with other late revive-ees, but there hasn’t been as much time for it with all the work required by the Kingdom of Science. Aside from that, the weather is just part of life for the villagers and Senku is not about to lend a sympathetic ear to something as petty as bemoaning the heat or the cold.

That said, this winter is much, much colder than the ones in the twenty-first century. For sure it’s below freezing, even if just by a degree or two, and the fear of hypothermia or frostbite or pneumonia does a great job keeping one up at night. 

“It sure gets cold out here at night.” It’s both the fear and the cold itself that have Gen awake after a day of cell phone preparation that should have been enough to exhaust anyone, maybe even the indomitable Ooki Taiju. 

“Yep.” Senku’s initial reply is strained, like he’s trying to keep his teeth from chattering. 

“I bet people have actually died of exposure in this village before.” 

“Possibly.”

“Hey, Senku-chan—“

“Look, I’m cold too and don’t have even one millimeter of interest in whatever pride people take in being considered hyper-masculine. If you wanna sleep closer, do it. I slept back to back with that oaf during our first winter de-petrified all the time.” 

He’s obviously referring to Taiju and it’s a bit of an honor to be afforded the same courtesy as Senku’s closest childhood friend. Gen wastes zero time in rolling over next to Senku. After a complicated hand-over-hand maneuver and some clumsy wriggling, they’re both wrapped in two blankets facing each other. 

“Oh, this is no good. You’re the one with cold hands in the relationship, aren’t you?” Gen sighs heavily.

“I’m not exactly a human stove like Taiju or something. And apparently neither are you. You know, if you really want to prevent hypothermia, you have to have skin to skin contact.” 

“I’m too cold to care if you’re challenging me to Gay Chicken, so I hope you don’t take this the wrong way but I’m stripping now.” 

So is Senku. The bite of winter 3700 years in the future without humans around to heat up the planet is merciless, so they both remove as much of their clothes as they can convince themselves is decent and huddle closer together, coats added on top of the blanket pile. 

It’s still too cold. December is cruel. 

“Hey... Chrome-chan doesn’t seem bothered by the cold.”

Senku rolls over so he can follow Gen’s gaze to Chrome, who is sleeping soundly just a meter or so away, unbothered by the temperature. He may have an extra fur tossed over his bedding, but he’s not shivering and they can see a vague outline of his breath condensing in the cold air. 

“How hard do you think it would be to convince him to sleep with us?” Senku mutters.

“Easy, unless he gets cranky when we wake him up.” Gen has already prepared a pitch that preys on the communal nature of the Ishigami villagers. All he has to do is score enough sympathy points with Chrome to get him categorized as an honorary part of the village’s extended family tree—Senku is already there. Then it won’t be weird for them to share a bed since survival is at stake and on cold nights everyone can be warm and comfortable. 

“Maybe one of us can lay behind him so he doesn’t roll over on his back and start sawing logs again,” Senku suggests. Taiju was way worse, but the sound still grates. He rolls himself up in his blankets and scoots over to Chrome’s side.

“Hey—hey Chrome. Wake up.”

“Hhmmmm huh? Whass going on, are we doin’ some night science?” 

“The hell is ‘night science’?” 

Senku grunts as a heavy weight drops on his back—Gen and the rest of their bedding draped over him. Too bad he can’t just sleep doubled over right here, it’s warm with all the cover.

“Chrome-chan, us past-timers aren’t used to these cold winter nights and it’s very possible our poorly prepared bodies will freeze to death.” 

“Oh what, yeah—yeah, the temperature tonight is pretty bad,” Chrome agrees as he sits up and rubs his eyes. “I don’t think we have anymore extra furs or hides around, b’maybe I got somethin...” 

“Just let us sleep with you,” Senku cuts him off before he falls back asleep. “Sharing body heat is the fastest and easiest way to stay warm.” 

“Good ol’ science and logic!” Gen adds with a smile that Chrome can’t even see because his eyelids have dropped shut and aren’t opening again any time soon. Chrome pats a spot next to his side.

“Ah yeah, used to do this as kids, everyone sleeps cuddled up together. Haven’t done it in a while, it’s kinda nice...” 

Gen slides right off Senku’s back, taking the bedding with him and leaving Senku surprisingly cold as he crawls into Chrome’s bedding without shame.

“He’s soooo much warmer that you,” he says as Senku tries to shove his way under the blanket next to him without disturbing it so much that they get any dreaded exposure to the cold air. Chrome doesn’t say even one word of protest as Gen, still shirtless, snuggles up against him. He just reaches his arm out and vaguely motions to grab Senku. 

“Yeah, careful ‘bout the cold air. Don’ freeze...” He’s on his side now so when he drifts off, he doesn’t start snoring. His arm falls limply around Gen’s shoulders. Senku finally manages to wedge his way into the bedding without untucking any corners and opening them to attack by winter 5739.

“Comfy?” Gen asks, his face much closer to Senku’s than Senku would normally allow. Even when he’s not working on anything, that’s too much of a distraction.

“Not gonna freeze, at least.” 

“Good thing we’ve tossed aside all those ridiculous notions of hyper-masculinity. You just know all those thugs Tsukasa revived for muscle are suffering right now. Or maybe they’ve just revived the phrase ‘no homo’ in the new era.” 

“Hey, you could’ve been snuggled up with your own personal harem back there, you just chose cola instead.” 

“I wasn’t prepared for it to get quite this cold, I suppose. And I was hoping you’d have a kotatsu ready by now, I’m actually disappointed in you, Senku-chan.”

Senku yawns. “I’ll make one tomorrow.” 

“Just idding-kay! It was only a joke.” 

“Still wouldn’t want you t’be disappointed, Mentalist. Kotatsu design should be easy, s’long as we consider the fire hazards… there’s probably even some citrus around we can peel sitting at it, get excited.” 

Now that he’s reached a comfortable sleeping temperature, Senku’s rightful exhaustion kicks in. He purposely closes his eyes, reaches over Gen so he can latch an arm around Chrome and keep them tied together, and lets himself fall asleep tolerably lukewarm. 

Gen studies Senku’s sleeping expression, still intense like he’s deep in thought, before he drifts off to sleep as well and dreams about peeling oranges while sitting under a kotatsu printed with the flag of the Kingdom of Science.


End file.
